Painful as these details are, they might be multiplied. And yet the bigotry of these Rabbis was, perhaps, not worse than that of other sectaries. It was a painful logical necessity of their system, against which their heart, no doubt, often rebelled; and, it must be truthfully added, it was in measure accounted for by the terrible history of Israel. __________________________________________________________________
[389] Mac. 23 b.
[390] Rosh HaSh. 11 a.
[391] Ber. R. 44.
[392] Yalkut §2.
[393] Ber. R. 1.
[394] Comp. Ab. ii. 5
[395] Jer. Chag. i. hal. 7, towards the end; Jer. Pes. iii.7.
[396] Ab. Z. 3 b.
[397] Shir haShir. R. on Cant. v. 11, ed Warshau, p. 26b.
[398] Eph. iv. 16.
[399] Lev. xix. 24.
[400] Acts xi. 26.
[401] Acts xi. 20, 21.
[402] Acts xv.1.
[403] The following cities probably formed the Decapolis, though it is difficult to feel quite sure in reference to one or the other of them: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos Dion, Pella, Gerasa, and Canatha. On these cities, comp. Caspari, Chronol. Geogr. Einl. in d. Leben J. Christ, pp. 83-90.
[404] Herod rebuilt or built other cities, such as Antipatris, Cypros, Phasaelis, Anthedon, &c. Schürer describes the two first as built, but they were only rebuilt or fortified (comp. Ant. xiii. 15. 1; War i. 21. 8.) by Herod.
[405] He also rebuilt Sepphoris.
[406] Comp. on the subject of the civic institutions of the Roman Empire, Kuhn, Die Städt. u. bürgerl. Verf. d. Röm. Reichs, 2 vols.; and for this part. vol. ii. pp. 336-354, and pp. 370-372.
[407] A good sketch of the various rites prevailing in different places is given by Schürer, Neutest. Zeitg. pp. 378-385.
[408] Comp. Weiseler, Beitr. z richt. Wur dig. d. Evang. pp. 90, 91.
[409] Jos. Ant. xv. 9. 6; War i. 21. 5-8.
[410] The Actian games took place every fifth year, three years always intervening. The games in Jerusalem were held in the year 28 b.c. (Jos. Ant. xv. 8. 1); the first games in Cæsarea in the year 12 b.c. (Ant. xvi. 5. 1; comp. War. i. 21. 8).
[411] Ant. xv. 8. 1-4; xvii. 6. 2.
[412] So at least in a Boraitha. Comp. the discussion and the very curious arguments in favour of attendance in Ab. Zar. 18 b, and following.
[413] Mechilta on Ex. xx. 4 ed. Weiss, p. 75 a.
[414] Ab. Zar. iii.
[415] For a full statement of the Talmudical views as to images, representations on coins, and the most ancient Jewish coins, see Appendix III.
[416] Jos. Ant. xv. 2, 5 and 6.
[417] Jos. War v. 4. 4.
[418] Acts xii. 23.
[419] Ant. xix. 9. l.
[420] Comp. here the interesting tractate of Dr. Bodek, Marc. Aur. Anton. als Freund u. Zeitgenosse des R. Jehuda ha Nasi.'
[421] Dan. vii. 23.
[422] The Athidlabho, sæculum futurum,' to be distinguished from the Olam habba, the world to come.'
[423] Midr. R. on Ex. Par. 23.
[424] Ab. Z. 2 b.
[425] Ab. Z. 10 a; Gitt. 80 a.
[426] Ps. lxxvi. 9.
[427] Shabb. 88 a.
[428] Ab. Z. 22 b. But as in what follows the quotations would be too numerous, they will be omitted. Each statement, however, advanced in the text or notes is derived from part of the Talmudic tractate Abodah Zarah.
[429] Ab. Z. ii. 1.
[430] The Talmud declares it only lawful if done to avoid exciting hatred against the Jews.
[431] Mechilta, ed. Weiss, p. 33 b, line 8 from top.
[432] There is a well-known story told of a Rabbi who was bitten by a serpent, and about to be cured by the invocation of the name of Jesus by a Jewish Christian, which was, however, interdicted.
[433] Yet, such is the moral obliquity, that even idolatry is allowed to save life, provided it be done in secret!